


You wanted a Lamborghini but I was only a Toyota

by forestofsecrets



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Confessions, F/M, the title is funny but the story is a little more serious, then Ran proceeds to ignore the girl while he figures stuff out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 11:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19440178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestofsecrets/pseuds/forestofsecrets
Summary: Ranmaru hears so many confessions in his line of work. What made this one different?





	You wanted a Lamborghini but I was only a Toyota

**Author's Note:**

> I can't really remember why I wrote this. Maybe because I thought of the title and decided to go with a Ranmaru story. He should give himself more credit.
> 
> Ran is very soft. I like his lines a lot in Shining Live.
> 
> Made on 10/11/2018.

“Ha?” 

The sound that came out of his mouth was harsh.

“I-I said, I said that I like…” 

The poor girl in front of him was trembling. The end of her sentence wasn’t even audible but Ranmaru had heard it all too many times before. All confessions just ended the same, with him turning the girl down. That’s how it had to be in this business.

He tried to contain his grunt of annoyance but based on the downcast look on the girl’s face, he didn’t do it well enough.

The only girlfriend he needed was right here in his arms. It may be foolish of him, but it was true. He didn’t need to be looked after or fussed over. It was bad enough that one of his juniors acted like he was his mother. All that Ranmaru needed was his music and he would be okay.

He put the face of the girl out of his mind. She was one of dozens, by now. That didn’t mean that Ranmaru didn’t feel guilty for putting tears in her eyes. But he never saw them again anyways.

Only it was different this time.

Ranmaru nearly did a double take when she walked into the room, introducing herself as a composer. He pointedly refused to meet her eyes, leaving an enthusiastic Reiji to introduce him. Despite the confession being over a week old at this point, he still remembered.

He exited the meeting without saying a word to her.

Usually when he was alone, he could focus. That is what he tried to tell himself as his fingers plucked halfheartedly along the strings of his bass. The room was quiet other than the occasional sigh he would let out.

He couldn’t recall her name.

He knew that she had told him, more than once. It was getting annoying having to speak with her while avoiding her name. It was bad enough trying to avoid her eyes. They always seemed to go right through him.

Ranmaru clicked his tongue and straightened his posture out. He had become crumpled over his bass, causing his back to protest. He ran a hand through his hair, trading a styled messiness for a more casual look.

He wasn’t getting anything done at this rate.

When she had to see him, he made no effort to make her comfortable. He would sit back and answer whatever questions she came with, usually about his preferences in how a line of melody should go or if he would prefer this range or that. He answered punctually, never quite looking right at her. It was easier to be on his phone than watch her stumble over herself. 

Which is always what his juniors did too, whenever she dropped by. Ren would get close and ask her some nonsense while Masato hurried about to prepare some tea.

Ranmaru just huffed and watched. Ren always got a blush and Masato, a sweet smile in return.

With roommates like these, it was just that much easier to justify to himself that he didn’t need to do anything. After all, he couldn’t offer her anything they couldn’t.

Getting advice from Camus, of all people, made his blood boil. It was even worse because the count was right.

“Getting to know her is in your best interest. You’ll regret it if you keep ignoring her.”

Ranmaru could only wonder if Camus was saying this because she had offered to get him his special, fancy ass brand of sugar that they only carried in one store that was three hours away.  


It wasn’t just Camus either.

Reiji often invited the girl out for lunch.

(“It’s to discuss music,” he insists but he didn’t fooling anyone.)

And Ai got a new umbrella after the wind had turned his inside out and broken the other day. He expressed his thanks in showcasing the functionality of sharing the new umbrella with her, as it had rained that day.

The rocker had to admit that she stuck around for longer than the others did.

As it often did in the spring, it rained. Not a light rain either. It was a heavy, coming down in bullets kind of rain. The kind that often trampled on the very flowers it was supposed to help grow.

Ranmaru got reminded of Ai’s broken umbrella.

The meeting was just coming to a close. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranmaru watched her collect her papers and scribble down some last minute notes.

One of her pens had run out during the meeting and was laying on the table. It was useless now, completely spent. Good for nothing.

Ranmaru shifted his gaze back outside, his head in his hands.

Ai followed his movement and changed the background conversation to the weather. Something, something about a change in pressure. Not that Ranmaru cared, exactly. He was just waiting for the first telltale sound of a chair being pushed back.

His cue to leave couldn’t come soon enough.

It was starting to gnaw at him. Her constant presence. Of course she would always be around but he didn’t expect to see her at every turn. 

Maybe… He could have been nicer about turning her down if he knew she would have been involved in his life like this.

Surely… She had to forget about her confession by now, right?

(Ai was unhelpful in supplying statistics. “Her smiles are about 76 percent brighter when they’re directed at you.”

“How can you measure that?” Was Ranmaru’s snappy reply. He really didn’t want to hear this right now.

“It’s on a Natsuki scale.” 

What does that even mean??)

His actions became subconscious. He left the last window seat on their bus for her because he knew she liked it. He opted to sit beside Ai, who gave him a raised eyebrow. 

When he noticed that she was squinting up at him while they were outside for his work during one of those rare sunny spring days, he’d turn her around. Standing in his shadow, the girl gave him a smile that made him deny any responsibility for his actions. The breeze was just nicer when he stood facing this way.

The day they became conscious was when the idol tossed a pack of pens at her. Her face was startled and she struggled to catch them.

Somewhere in Ranmaru, he frowned. He didn’t mean to toss it that hard. 

It was a multi pack with red, black, and blue. He couldn’t decide what colour so covering his bases was easiest.

“It’s to replace the one that ran out a while ago. Can’t have you running out of pens otherwise you wouldn’t be able to write anything.”

The more she was around, the more he noticed. It was carrying over into his music, his ultimate domain.

He hummed her tune, getting used to it. He didn’t bring out his bass, not yet. The pencil tapped out the rhythm in an effort to be more productive. Before he realized it, he had written about himself, how he used to be. How he had changed since meeting her and her gentle smile.

It had just happened, surprising him most of all.

But he still wouldn’t allow himself to go soft.

“Hey kiddo, let’s go grab a bite! You know your favourite place is always ready and willing!”

There Reiji goes again, trying to persuade her to join him for lunch. Ai made a face at the older idol and remarked on if he really was taking her to a restaurant.

Ranmaru huffed and cut in. “Forget it. She’s going out with me today.” Without waiting for a reply, he rose and made his way to the door. Pausing in the door frame, he glanced over his shoulder, expecting her to follow. He wasn’t going to say it again so she better have been listening.

They walked, he shoved his hands in his pockets. They had gotten lucky, today was another bright blue day. Ranmaru continued on his invisible path, he already knew where to go.

“I’m in the mood for some burgers so that’s what we’re getting.” He looked over to see her nod in agreement. “Does Reiji usually take you to Kotobuki Bento?” Another nod in response. Ranmaru barked out a laugh. “Ha, well you’ll be surprised. That place is good for chicken but beef is the more supreme meat and where we’re going has the best around. Eat all you want, it’s on me.”

Besides, you’re so small that you need some more meat on your bones.

  


Ranmaru strummed, his eyes closed. He was sitting on the edge of his bed in a comfortable silence.

He wasn’t the most cheerful, logical, or intelligent in the group. He also knew he wasn’t as wealthy as some of the others, or had as many connections.

But he was loyal, prideful, and he was here. He functioned just as well, just maybe without all the pretty packaging. He was going to do this his own way.

He wouldn’t be able to give her money or fame. But he was enough. Her warmth against his back was felt and welcomed, curled up on the bed against him. The small sounds of crinkling paper were lost in the music as he played.

Yeah, he was enough.


End file.
